A-Rod jokes about Yankees' success without him

TORONTO - Alex Rodriguez is certain that he and his left calf will come back from the disabled list "strong and ready to go."

But he joked that the Yankees might not be in a terrible rush to get him back.

"My only concern, the way the team is going right now, they're [12-0] without me," A-Rod said before last night's game, his first public comments since being put on the DL on Saturday. "I'm afraid [Brian] Cashman and Joe [Girardi] are going to bring me into the office and upgrade it to a 60-day DL."

Rodriguez injured his left calf Aug. 16 and tried to return Friday. He lasted one at-bat, aggravating the injury on the swing and coming out of the batter's box.

"Friday [showed] me that the DL was definitely the best option," he said. "I probably wouldn't have been convinced [otherwise]."

A-Rod said for the next five days, maybe more, he won't do anything baseball related - just continue to receive treatment on the calf.

"I think hopefully, when the dust settles in September and late October, we can look back at this and look at it as a blessing in disguise because I know I'm going to come back strong," he said.

Asked for his thoughts on the 12-0 statistic, A-Rod laughed.

"It's amazing," he said. "Someone's going to kick me in my calf here pretty soon and put me out of my misery. That's the thing about this team, though. Everyone steps up. The way Robby [Cano] and CC [Sabathia], the way these guys step up when someone needs to, is pretty awesome."

Cano has hit well in the fourth spot, including a grand slam Sunday, and has continued bolstering his MVP credentials, something A-Rod started talking about in Tampa in late July.

"He's growing up in front of our eyes," said Rodriguez, who has been mentoring Cano. "He's slowly but surely become one of the elite players in our league . . . and defensively, there's no question he's by far the best second baseman in the league. Strongest arm I've ever seen in a second baseman."

But A-Rod will stay in the same spot when he returns, Joe Girardi said.

"I'll insert Alex right back where he was," Girardi said. "He's a cleanup hitter."

Questions, questions

A Chicago Tribune report brought up a topic that was raised last month when Lou Piniella said he would step down as Cubs manager - that the Cubs would make a play for Girardi. With Piniella now gone, the topic is hot again and will become hotter at the end of the week when Girardi, who grew up near Chicago, comes to town.

"That's something I'll have to deal with but my focus is here," Girardi said. "The big thing is, is you don't want it to become a distraction. It's just not fair to anyone involved. This organization has been great to me."

Jeter rests

Derek Jeter didn't start last night and was replaced at short by Eduardo Nuñez. Jeter pinch hit in the ninth and fouled out to first to end the game.

"Seventeen days in a row he's played," Girardi said. "The man needs a day off. You hate to give him a day off but we can't have him physically break down."

Burnett/Vazquez split

Not unexpectedly, A.J. Burnett and Javier Vazquez will not pitch back to back. Burnett will pitch Friday, followed by CC Sabathia and Vazquez. Francisco Cervelli will catch Burnett and Vazquez.

Extra bases

Girardi said the plan as of Monday was for LHP Andy Pettitte (groin), who is just playing catch, to throw a full bullpen session Friday in Chicago . . . Alfredo Aceves (back), not as "sharp" as the Yankees would like, will make another minor-league start Tuesday . . . Damaso Marte (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Tuesday.